Master of Science (M.S)

Movement Sciences & Health – Sports Performance and Coaching Specialization

Learn how you can impact an individual's performance.

Ready to Get Started?

Adapt assignments in all coursework to apply to your particular field and position to gain immediate, real-life experience.

Develop and apply new strategies within your current career to discuss outcomes and possible modifications with faculty and peers.

Learn online during the time of day and locations that are best for you.

Movement Sciences & Health, M.S. – Sports Performance and Coaching Specialization Overview

Professionals seeking a master’s degree in physical education and coaching can benefit from UWF’s online master’s in sports performance and coaching. You’ll learn how to lead individuals in areas of coaching (collegiate, high school, youth), physical activity, physical education, fitness, wellness and health. Through the development of subject-specific pedagogy, you will become a leader who can successfully and effectively plan, motivate, communicate, explain, connect, demonstrate and reflect.

You’ll be guided through the curriculum by instructors who are dedicated to your individualized learning. Coursework offers personalized assignments — you’ll use the challenges you face in your current position or interests to complete work and benefit from professional feedback regarding your outcomes.

By graduation, you’ll know how to effectively plan a program and reflect on processes to make improvements. The program also instills competences to help you connect with and motivate clients as well as explain programs or exercises.

Candidates for This Program Include:

Students who are interested in coaching or teaching within school, community and recreational settings or fitness, training and health professionals
Professionals who need a master’s to advance their career in this field
Anyone who wants to motivate individuals to increase their skills and performance

You Will Be Able To:

Maximize successful participation in physical activity through critical evaluation and the use of instructional behaviors for physical activity
Apply a variety of concepts when planning and implementing interventions to enhance physical activity
Examine, evaluate and apply research on skill development and learning in physical education, coaching and physical activity domains

Courses and Requirements

UWF’s online master’s in Sports Performance and Coaching in Movement Sciences and Health program requires a total of 36 credit hours, which include your choice of a thesis or a capstone project.

: PET 5701 - Systematic Observation in Sport and Physical Activity
3.0 Credit Hours
Systematic Observation in Sport and Physical Activity
Students will learn to use a systematic approach to observe participants during teaching, coaching, and training. Emphasis will be on using published systematic observation instruments and the development of new instruments as objective tools for observation.
PET 5702 - Advanced Management of Physical Activity Programs
3.0 Credit Hours
Advanced Management of Physical Activity Programs
This course will prepare students to effectively use current theory and administrative techniques to design and implement appropriate physical activity programs. Emphasis is placed on developing and implementing program plans.
PET 5708 - Physical Activity Program Development
3.0 Credit Hours
Physical Activity Program Development
The aim of this course is to examine models and current research related to curriculum and program design in physical activity disciplines. This course will provide students with skills that will enable them to interpret, critique, evaluate, justify, and develop physical activity curricula and programs.
PET 5709 - Leadership in Physical Activity and Sport
3.0 Credit Hours
Leadership in Physical Activity and Sport
This course will assist students in developing knowledge and skills related to leadership in physical activity and sport settings. This course will provide students with the leadership skills that will enable them to examine, evaluate, create, and implement effective physical activity and sport programs.
PET 6535 - Research Methods in Sport Performance
3 Credit Hours
Research Methods in Sport Performance
Students who complete this course will gain the skills and knowledge to engage in meaningful research within sport and physical activity settings. Topics covered will include methods to design and implement effective quantitative and qualitative research projects in physical activity and sport settings.
PET 6514 - Predictive Sport Performance Analytics
3 Credit Hours
Predictive Sport Performance Analytics
Using quantitative data collection and analysis procedures, students will gain the skills and knowledge necessary to carefully analyze sport performance in an objective and data based manner. Students will also learn to use data to make effective recommendations and decisions to improve future sport performance at both the individual and team levels.
PET 5805 - Analysis and Supervision in Sport and Physical Activity
3.0 Credit Hours
Analysis and Supervision in Sport and Physical Activity
This course prepares students to analyze and supervise teaching, training, and quality in physical activity disciplines.
PET 6015 - Professional Issues in Physical Activity Disciplines
3.0 Credit Hours
Professional Issues in Physical Activity Disciplines
This course will assist students in understanding professional issues and concerns that are inherent parts of physical activity professions and to apply that understanding to professional participation and service contributions. Students will analyze and evaluate online professional information, critically analyze physical activity problems, critique and debate complex ethical problems within the field of physical activity, and articulate a sound philosophy for physical activity leadership.
PET 6223 - Teaching and Motivation for Physical Activity Leaders
3.0 Credit Hours
Teaching and Motivation for Physical Activity Leaders
This course will lead students through the exploration of sport psychology research, particularly in areas that connect psychology and physical activity behavior. Students will connect theory to practice by integrating research and theory into logical coaching and teaching frameworks. Additional content will focus on how training actions impact performance and motivation.
Choose 6 credit hours of coursework from the following in consultation with your academic advisor:
HLP 6971 - Thesis
6.0 Credit Hours
Thesis
Graded on a satisfactory / unsatisfactory basis only. Permission is required.
PET 6950 - Project in Lieu of Thesis
6.0 Credit Hours
Project in Lieu of Thesis
The project in lieu of thesis is a project or activity that makes a significant contribution to the field(s) associated with physical education and human performance fields. Project ideas will be conceptualized and organized by the student and the course instructor. There is no set format and guidelines for each individual project will be determined by the nature of the topic and the guidance of the instructor. Students will be guided toward project completion over two semesters.
PET 6536 - Advanced Strategies and Tactics of Sport Performance
3 Credit Hours
Advanced Strategies and Tactics of Sport Performance
Students completing this course will analyze, evaluate, and create strategic and tactical methods designed to produce success within sports settings.
SPM 5408 - Sport Promotion and Communication
3 Credit Hours
Sport Promotion and Communication
Sport Promotion and Communication is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills to effectively promote sport and physical activity programs using a variety of direct and indirect communication tools and procedures.

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission to UWF’s online Sports Performance and Coaching in Movement Sciences and Health program, you must have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution.

How to Apply

To apply for admission to this program, you first need to submit an application for graduate admission (plus a $30 application fee) and be admitted to the University of West Florida. Review application deadlines. In addition, you must submit:

Submit official transcripts confirming a bachelor’s degree from an institution whose accrediting agency is included on the list of UWF approved accrediting agencies
Undergraduate Institutional GPA as well as GPA in your senior year/major
Letter of intent describing reasons for applying to this program and associated career goals
Three professional references
Academic Preparation as demonstrated by undergraduate degree major

Have questions about this program or the admissions process? Contact our graduate admissions team at gradadmissions@uwf.edu.

Costs & Financial Aid

Component	Cost	Total*
In-State Tuition	$384.60 per credit hour	$13,845.60
In-State Tuition with Maximum Transfer Credits (Up to 6)	$384.60 per credit hour	$11,538.00
Full Out-of-State Tuition	$1,044.24 per credit hour	$37,592.64
90% Out-of-State Tuition Waiver	$478.83 per credit hour	$17,237.88

Tuition waivers cover up to 90% of the non-resident portion of your tuition. They are available to non-Florida residents (including international students) admitted to online programs and registered for online courses in active pursuit of that degree or certificate. You must pay all other assessed tuition and fees. Review Tuition Waiver Information to learn more.

Time to completion varies by student, depending on individual progress. Fees are charged per semester unless otherwise noted. This program takes up to 24 months to complete, depending on course availability.

Refer to UWF Cost of Attendance Estimates and Financial Literacy for more information on UWF costs and financial aid.

* Tuition and fees are subject to change.

Alabama Differential Out-of-State Tuition

Residents of Alabama are eligible for Alabama Differential Tuition, a reduced out-of-state tuition rate. For more information and to verify residency status for tuition purposes, new undergraduate students should contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and new graduate students should contact the Graduate School. Students who are currently enrolled should contact the Office of the Registrar.

Active Duty Military

All active-duty members of the U.S. military who are residing or stationed outside the state of Florida shall have all (100%) out-of-state fees waived by the University. Contact the Military & Veterans Resource Center to apply for the Active Duty Military Out-of-State Waiver.

UWF Short-Term Financial Assistance

The University of West Florida provides eligible students with an alternative to paying the full amount of tuition at the beginning of each term in the form of an installment payment plan or a short-term loan.

Military Students

UWF is a Military FriendlyⓇ School proudly serving active-duty U.S. military members and veterans. As UWF has been a participant in the Yellow Ribbon Program since 2011, you could be eligible to receive free tuition with your military benefits.

See How We Can Serve You

Financial Aid

Funding your college education should not empty your wallet. We offer various financial aid options for our online students, including loans, scholarships and grants for degree-seeking students.

Learn More About Financial Aid

Frequently Asked Questions

: You may either contact your enrollment counselor or log into your MyUWF account to view the status of your application.
: No, you may be enrolled part-time and be eligible for financial aid. Different awards have different enrollment criteria. For example, federal direct loans require at least half-time enrollment. All students are awarded assuming full-time enrollment. If you change enrollment plans, the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships must be notified immediately, and we will revise your award if necessary.
: UWF will only accept credits from institutions whose accrediting agency is included on the list of UWF approved accrediting agencies, and the amount of transfer credits allowed depends on the program. For detailed information, visit our Transfer Students page.
: Refer to UWF Cost of Attendance Estimates for more information.